The interaction between the natural polyphenol resveratrol and human serum albumin (HSA), the most abundant transport protein in plasma, has been studied in the absence and in the presence of up to six molecules of stearic acids (SA) pre-complexed with the protein. The study has been carried out by using the intrinsic fluorescence of both HSA and resveratrol. Protein and polyphenol fluorescence data indicate that resveratrol binds to HSA with an association constant k(a) = (1.10 ± 0.14) × 10(5) M(-1) and (1.09 ± 0.02) × 10(5) M(-1), respectively, whereas Job plot evidences the formation of an equimolar protein/drug complex. Low SA content associated with HSA does not affect significantly the structural conformation of the protein and its interaction with resveratrol, whereas high SA content induces conformational changes in the protein, and reduces resveratrol binding affinity. The photostability of resveratrol in the different samples changes in the order: buffer < (high [SA]/HSA) < HSA < (low [SA]/HSA). The results on (SA/HSA)-resveratrol samples highlight the ability of the protein to bind hydrophobic and amphiphilic ligands and to protect from degradation an important antioxidant molecule under biologically relevant conditions.